Bruce.Lipsky@jacksonville.com--03/10/14--Rick Scott made his announcement about port expansion and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown announced a port task force while standing in front of the container ship Hanjin Mundra on Monday March 10, 2014 at the TraPac terminal in Jacksonville, FL. (Florida Times-Union/Bruce Lipsky)

Bruce.Lipsky@jacksonville.com--03/10/14-- A sign is up on property near the TraPac terminal for the future Intermodal Container Transfer Facility. Rick Scott made his announcement about port expansion and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown announced a port task force while standing in front of the container ship Hanjin Mundra on Monday March 10, 2014 at the TraPac terminal in Jacksonville, FL. (Florida Times-Union/Bruce Lipsky)

Bruce.Lipsky@jacksonville.com--03/10/14-- John Baker (R) will co-chair the Mayor's Jacksonville Port Task Force. Rick Scott made his announcement about port expansion and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown announced a port task force while standing in front of the container ship Hanjin Mundra on Monday March 10, 2014 at the TraPac terminal in Jacksonville, FL. (Florida Times-Union/Bruce Lipsky)

Bruce.Lipsky@jacksonville.com--03/10/14-- John Baker will co-chair the Mayor's Jacksonville Port Task Force. Rick Scott made his announcement about port expansion and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown announced a port task force while standing in front of the container ship Hanjin Mundra on Monday March 10, 2014 at the TraPac terminal in Jacksonville, FL. (Florida Times-Union/Bruce Lipsky)

Bruce.Lipsky@jacksonville.com--03/10/14-- Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown (L-R), Congressman Ander Crenshaw and Florida Governor Rick Scott chat as they make their way to the press conference. Rick Scott made his announcement about port expansion and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown announced a port task force while standing in front of the container ship Hanjin Mundra on Monday March 10, 2014 at the TraPac terminal in Jacksonville, FL. (Florida Times-Union/Bruce Lipsky)

Bruce.Lipsky@jacksonville.com--03/10/14--Rick Scott made his announcement about port expansion and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown announced a port task force while standing in front of the container ship Hanjin Mundra on Monday March 10, 2014 at the TraPac terminal in Jacksonville, FL. (Florida Times-Union/Bruce Lipsky)

The environmental community will hold just one of the 13 seats on a new task force named Monday by Mayor Alvin Brown to lead a “community conversation” on the merits of deepening the St. Johns River for bigger cargo ships.

Brown’s announcement Monday of the task force members draws heavily from the business community, which has backed JaxPort’s quest to deepen the ship channel at an estimated cost of $684 million.

But Brown also appointed Quinton White, an outspoken critic of harbor deepening who is executive director of the Marine Science Research Institute at Jacksonville University.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to finish its report in April on the environmental and economic impact of deepening the ship channel, which would cost an estimated $684 million.

Brown said the task force will examine “different viewpoints” in regard to deepening the channel and look at “how we make the financial investment necessary to achieve the harbor deepening.”

“When I say a thoughtful and deliberate discussion, I mean it,” Brown said as he announced the task force in an appearance with Gov. Rick Scott. “In a community as large as ours, there are many different viewpoints. All deserve to be heard.”

St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman said Brown’s charge to the task force seems more aimed at building a case for supporting JaxPort’s plans, rather than vetting JaxPort’s goals to see whether they’re actually right for Jacksonville.

“We’re pleased to see Dr. White as part of the task force, but it would be nice to see other environmental faces on there as well,” she said. “I just think you would have a more balanced discussion. What we’ve been asking for continuously is an honest discussion and review of what the local negatives and positives will be.”

Brown tapped John Baker, the executive chairman of Patriot Transportation Holding, and Martin “Hap” Stein, CEO of Regency Centers, to be co-chairmen of the task force.

White said he thinks task force members will be open-minded. He said the task force should examine whether JaxPort’s job-growth assumptions are realistic and weigh that against the financial and environmental costs of deepening the river.

“I’m a great believer that when you give people good information, they make good decisions,” White said. “Maybe I’ll change their minds. Maybe they’ll change my mind. We’ll see.”

Rinaman recommended the mayor select White, who has worked with St. Johns Riverkeeper in its critique of the ongoing federal study of channel deepening.

Brown outlined three main areas for the task force:

■ Examine the strategic priorities of JaxPort, which includes harbor deepening, “and discuss how to build community support for those priorities.”

■ Engage in a community discussion of “different viewpoints” on deepening the harbor.

■ Explore “how we make the financial investment necessary to achieve the harbor deepening.”

He said the federal and state governments can help, but “we must come together as a community and a region to do our part.”

He said the task force doesn’t have any deadline for finishing its work.

Brown announced the task force during an appearance with Scott at the TraPac terminal located just west of the Dames Point bridge.

The governor highlighted the work JaxPort is doing to build an intermodal container transfer facility for switching cargo containers between ships and trains near the TraPac terminal. The state previously contributed $20 million toward the terminal and JaxPort received a $10 million federal grant for the project, slated for completion by late 2015.

Scott has made expanding international trade one of his core initiatives for driving job growth.

Florida “should be the No. 1 shipping hub” on the East Coast, Scott said. “That’s why we’re making these investments.”